Common Causes Of Back Pain And How To Treat It

Back pain can be extremely uncomfortable. What started out as a bit of a twinge has now become a painful and stressful problem. It is a common reason for taking time off work or receiving some form of medical treatment and can pretty much affect anyone or any age. Strenuous activity, injury or particular medical conditions are just some of the reasons why it’s happening. Here’s a run through some causes and how to deal with them.

Using Your Mobile and Tablet Device Often

It may not be common knowledge that using mobile and tablet devices can be a cause for back problems. However, if you think about the position you tend to be in when you use these devices you’re normally sat down and hunched over to look at the screen of the device. This can cause aches in your back as well as your shoulder and neck if you look at them for a long period of time. Sitting also applies further pressure to your spine compared to walking or running.

To help prevent this, reduce the amount of time you spend on your devices or learn to hold it out in front of you rather than positioning it in a way that you have to stress your back and neck. Neck exercises are a great way to overcome pain too. Hold them in different positions for about 10 seconds to improve the health in your spine.

Cigarette Smoking

Not only does smoking cause harm to your heart and lung but high levels of nicotine can also be a common cause for back problems. Nicotine in cigarettes can restrict blood flow to your vertebrae which means it can become more vulnerable over time. It can also affect the body’s ability to absorb calcium which is important for keeping healthy bones.

The obvious resolution to this is to stop smoking. There are several websites online that can help with the process of addictions to smoking. Put a plan in place so you can adjust to not smoking over time.

Developing Large Breasts

This is a bit more difficult as breasts are a natural formation of the body. They can be prone to upper back pain as the weight of your breasts can cause strain to the surrounding muscles around your shoulders and chest. It makes women hunch forward which can majorly affect posture too.

There are several solutions that can help. Women with large breasts tend to try to cover them up by buying smaller bra sizes which cause straps to dig into them. Bras can be custom designed to support women with larger breasts so there’s less stress on them. Another solution is a breast reduction. There are several clinics around the UK that specialise in breast reduction Manchester, London, Liverpool and Birmingham based. It’s found that women who have the surgery have fewer problems with back pain. Working with a physiotherapist can also be beneficial as they can provide exercise programmes to help reduce the pain.

Your Outfit and Accessory Choice

Wearing the same choice of footwear can actually have a bad effect on your spine. Wearing extremely high stilettos is the main cause of back problems but wearing the same flat shoes often can be just as detrimental. Similarly, heavy shoulder bags and purses that you slug around every day can also have an effect.

Try to vary your footwear choice so that you’re supported for every possible situation. If you commute to work on foot, wear shock absorbing trainers on the way there and then change them for appropriate footwear when you reach the office. For your bag, purchase something that is well padded in the strap to provide comfort to your shoulder and try not to carry around too much if you can help it. This goes for handbags too.

It’s important to understand what the common causes of back problems are. That way if you feel any problems you can reflect on your daily routine and point out any factors that could be a cause.

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